Israeli PM Netanyahu Rejects President Biden's Request to Cancel Attack on Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with US President Joe Biden. (Twitter/@netanyahu)

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected United States President Joe Biden's request to cancel plans for a ground attack on Rafah, the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million refugees, but which Israel believes is a hiding place for Hamas militants.

PM Netanyahu told lawmakers on Tuesday that he had made it "very clear" to the US President, "that we are determined to complete the annihilation of these battalions in Rafah, and there is no way to do that except by going to the field", reported Reuters, March 20.

The two leaders spoke by telephone on Monday. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington believed storming Rafah would be a "mistake" and that Israel could achieve its military goals by other means.

US and Israeli officials will likely meet early next week in Washington to discuss Israel's military operation in Rafah, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday, citing deep concern about reports of imminent famine in Gaza.

Jean-Pierre said President Biden had asked PM Netanyahu to send a senior team consisting of military, intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington for comprehensive discussions in the coming days.

Washington itself has launched a new diplomatic push for a ceasefire in the nearly six-month-old war to free hostages and provide food aid to ward off famine in the Palestinian enclave.

Later, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is again traveling to the Middle East, where he will meet with senior leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia to "discuss the appropriate architecture for lasting peace."